Best Visual Effects
, Paul Norris, Sara Bennett, Andrew Whitehurst, 2015 winner]] The Academy Award for Best Visual Effects is an Academy Award that recognizes the finest or most outstanding visual effects in film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences first recognized the technical contributions of special effects to movies at its inaugural dinner in 1928, presenting a plaque for Best Engineering Effects to the first Best Picture Oscar winner, the World War I flying drama Wings. Producer David O. Selznick, then production head at RKO Studios, petitioned the Academy Board of Governors to recognize the work of animator Willis O'Brien for his groundbreaking work on 1933's King Kong (1933). But it was not until 1938 when a film was actually recognized for its effects work, when a "Special Achievement Award for Special Effects" was given to the Paramount film Spawn of the North. The following year, Best Special Effects became a recognized category, although on occasion the Academy has chosen to honor a single film outright rather than nominate two or more films. From 1939 to 1963, it was an award for a film's visual effects as well as audio effects, so usually it was given to two persons, although some years only one or the other type of effect was recognised. In 1964, it was given only for visual effects, and the following year the name of the category was changed to Best Special Visual Effects. Between 1972 and 1977, there was no specific award for visual effects. As such work was awarded within the umbrella award called Special Achievement Academy Award. In 1977, a specific award category for visual effects was reintroduced with the current name, Best Visual Effects, although until 1995, visual effects could for some years continue to be given within the Special Achievement Academy Award instead. Which 1990 was the last year there was no official nominations, but instead a special achievement given. Nominees & winners * 1927/28: The category was named Best Engineering Effects ; 11th Academy Awards, 1938 : Special Achievement Academy Award — Spawn of the North — Gordon Jennings, Farciot Edouart, Loyal Griggs * 1939 - 1963: The category was named Best Special Effects * 1964 - 1971: The category was named Best Special Visual Effects 1970s ; 45th Academy Awards, 1972 : Special Achievement Academy Award — The Poseidon Adventure — L. B. Abbott, A. D. Flowers * 1973: No award given. ; 47th Academy Awards, 1974 : Special Achievement Academy Award — Earthquake — Frank Brendel, Glen Robinson, Albert Whitlock ; 48th Academy Awards, 1975 : Special Achievement Academy Award — The Hindenburg — Albert Whitlock, Glen Robinson ; 49th Academy Awards, 1976 : Special Achievement Academy Award — King Kong (1976) — Carl Rambaldi, Glen Robinson, Frank Van der Veer Logan's Run — L. B. Abbott, Glen Robinson, Matthew Yuricich ; 51st Academy Awards, 1978 : Special Achievement Academy Award — Superman — Les Bowie, Colin Chilvers, Denys Coop, Roy Field, Derek Meddings, Zoran Perisic 1980s ; 53rd Academy Awards, 1980 : Special Achievement Academy Award — The Empire Strikes Back — Brian Johnson, Richard Edlund, Dennis Muren, Bruce Nicholson ; 56th Academy Awards, 1983 : Special Achievement Academy Award — Return of the Jedi — Richard Edlund, Dennis Muren, Ken Ralston, Phil Tippett 1990s ; 63rd Academy Awards, 1990 : Special Achievement Academy Award — Total Recall — Eric Brevig, Rob Bottin, Tim McGovern, Alex Funke 2000s 2010s Related Categories * Best Special Effects * Best Special Visual Effects Category:Academy Awards by category